First up, grocery store chain Whole Foods Market has hired Heather Stern as its new general counsel. Ms Stern joins Whole Foods after more than ten years working in-house at office supply retailer Office Depot. According to her LinkedIn profile, she worked in private practice at law firm Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton before moving in-house in 2004.

Meanwhile, payment solutions company CardConnect has welcomed Amanda Abrams as its next general counsel and a new member of the company’s senior management team. Ms Abrams has joined CardConnect from Ledgewood PC, where she focused primarily on corporate and securities law matters. According to a statement from the company, Ms Abrams has served as CardConnect’s primary outside counsel for the last year. Company president and CEO Jeff Shanahan commented: ‘Amanda already has invaluable knowledge and experience in all aspects of CardConnect operations and strategy.  During the time we have worked together, she has also demonstrated the critical thinking and insightful perspectives that have provided important input in many of our strategic decisions.’

Midsized Pennsylvania law firm Burns White has appointed partner James Schadel to take on the newly-created role of general counsel, while Amanda Sargent will serve as his deputy. The decision to appoint a GC comes in response to growing legal and ethical complexities facing the firm as it pushes ahead with its expansion. ‘There are a lot more requirements that law firms have to adhere to that they didn’t before,’ said managing partner David White of the firm’s decision to appoint a GC.

Canadian oil and gas explorer CGX Energy has named Peter Volk as its new general counsel. Mr Volk most recently served as general counsel and secretary of Pacific Exploration & Production Corporation, and joins CGX Energy as Dan Gillet announces his exit from the company’s Board of Directors. Mr Volk is a graduate of the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.

Finally, Ministry of Sound has hired UBM head of legal for the EMEA region Ben Farrow has its own new general counsel. Mr Farrow’s move to Ministry of Sound comes after it was announced earlier this year that former general counsel Marcel Apfel was making the switch to brand management firm Iconix Brand Group. Mr Apfel had sat at the helm of the company’s legal department since 2013, joining following a brief stint as legal counsel and head of international brand development (Americas and EMEA) at Pentland Brands.